


Sparkling Riot

by ChrysCare, Snowfire (Snowdream)



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:48:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23798746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChrysCare/pseuds/ChrysCare, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snowdream/pseuds/Snowfire
Summary: Terror spawns, most commonly known as sparklings terrorize the Autobots.
Kudos: 10





	1. Day 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is the result of a conversation I witnessed on Lonely Prowl discord. I blame them for this 🤣

Prowl  
~~~~~~  
When he was called to the science wing, he expected to be escorting a certain black and white trouble maker to the brig. What he doesn’t expect to see is a certain black and white trouble maker sparkling sized sitting in the middle of the smoky lab. The sparkling coos and the black helm turns, blue visor meets his ice blue optics. 

“Jazz, Jazz!” the inventor calls, vents wheezing at the smoke. Wheeljack meets his optics, Jazz coos and babbles. “Oh!” 

:Optimus, we have a problem,: he comms the Prime. :Wheeljack struck again.:

:How bad?: the Prime sounds tired. He frowns, the Decepticon raids have gone down, why would the Prime be tired?

:A twenty,: he replies and hears a sigh.

:Ironhide and I will be down momentarily,: the Prime ends the comm. Wheeljack rubs his helm looking sheepishly at the babbling sparklng on the floor. He supposes it’s best that Jazz was turned into a sparkling and not anything worse happened. A few pulses later, Ironhide and the Prime arrive and Ironhide keeps Optimus from entering the room. 

“We don’t know what else is in this smoke, Prime,” Ironhide says to the Prime. They should quarantine and test the air quality. “It’s best that you stay out here.”

“Ironhide—“

“Prime, it’s my job to keep you safe,” Ironhide says as the squeal from the sparkling Jazz comes and Jazz crawls towards Optimus. He goes to grab the sparkling but Jazz dodges his servos. Ironhide snatches the small saboteur up with ease before dropping Jazz in his arms. “Deal with that and we’ll deal with Wheeljack.”

“I wasn’t the only one handling the machine!” Wheeljack gasps. He holds Jazz close and slips past the Prime, catching the small black servos that reach out for the Prime. Frowning down to the saboteur as the sparkling trails small black digits along his chestplates, he’s always avoided sparklings when he was in the Enforcers. He left that to Barricade. He wasn’t made to deal with sparklings, it wasn’t in his programming until the new Prime banned the use of tactical Vector Sigma drones and required all of them to receive a spark. That is until they learned sparking drones causes major glitches within their processors. 

How could a sparked mech understand a drone’s content with a workload meant for them? Though, living both worlds he sees how having a spark is beneficial. Sparked mechs can fall in love and care for mechs. 

He jumps when something soft and disturbingly wet touches his chestplates. A glance down reveals that Jazz’s glossa currently runs along his Autobot insignia. Grimacing, he holds the small Cybertronian away a bit. A small pout comes to the little faceplates and little legs kick in the air. 

A carrier would know what to do with a sparkling. The only mech he can think of is the last mech he wants to leave the third in command in the arms of. Ironhide won’t like it since it puts Jazz within reach of the Prime but how else does the Elite Guardsmech expect him to take care of Jazz as a sparkling. 

He reaches the Prime’s quarters, pressing the call button by the lock panel. It’s the Prime’s own fault for putting himself in this situation. The Prime certainly should have known or had the sense to not create sparklings in wartime on an alien planet, with a Decepticon assassin no less. 

The white and blue mech opens the door as Jazz decides his servos taste good. Violet optics meet his ice blue, those are a change from the blood red the Decepticons adopted when they landed on the planet. Purple optics mean only one thing, the mech has Dark Energon in his lines. 

“Why, Enforcer, you popped that little one out faster than any Carrier in existence,” the Decepticon frowns at him. “Oh, wait, that looks oddly like Jazz.”

“As you’re currently the only one on the base who has experience and the resources for sparkling care, I volunteer you to look after Jazz,” he says holding the sparkling out and dropping him into Snowfire’s arms. Well in the vicinity of arms, the Decepticon does catch the falling sparkling. “Thank you for your service.”

“Wait just a moment,” the Decepticon growls before he can flee. Jazz is shoved back into his arms. “You must be joking, I cannot look after that imp.”

“Jazz is not an imp, Snowfire,” he frowns at the mech. What does the Prime see in someone who calls a sparkling an imp? Optimus could do better. Twenty one times better. Any Autobot would have been happy to bond with the Prime.

“You’re so infatuated by the mech, you should watch over him,” Snowfire smirks, arms crossing over his chestplates. “Perhaps it will give you practice for when you two create your own terror spawns.”

A sparkling’s wail comes from within the Prime’s quarters before five other wails sound in chorus to the first. 

“That would be my previous engagement, I doubt the Prime would like his quarters to become a sparkling center or the shredded insides of a Titan. Have fun with your beau, bye now.”

The door slams shut in his faceplates as he stares wide optic at the space the Decepticon was. How . . . how did he know . . . No one knew his feelings towards the saboteur. Much less a Decepticon who hides in the Prime’s quarters. The sparkling squirms in his arms and he glances down to the sparkling. A blush threatens to creep up to his faceplates, that is until a plopping sound comes and a slobber covered servo smacks against his chestplates. He frowns down at the saboteur.

“What am I going to do with you,” he frowns down at Jazz who turns his helm up to look at him. Blue sapphire visor shining brightly as the other slobbery servo connects to his frame. Grimacing, he holds Jazz away from him. One of the many things he necessarily could do without in sparkling interactions. He sighs as he walks in the Special Ops department, surely a mech within the department can look after their own boss. 

Mirage’s gold optics meet his, the blue and white noble freezes before taking a step back. Those gold optics flick down to the sparkling who tries to do a back flip out of his arms. 

“Just the mech I was looking for,” he smiles to the noble. “You wouldn’t mind looking after Jazz, after all you do know all his tricks.”

“I . . . did you, uh, try Snowfire, I hear carriers are great multitaskers,” Mirage says trying to back away.

“He said he was busy,” he sets Jazz down on Mirage’s desk. Jazz immediately latches onto a data-pad to promptly introduce to his intake. Mirage winces as slobber dribbles down the edges. 

“Fine,” Mirage sighs, he’s at the door before Mirage even agreed.

“I knew I could count on you,” he says slipping out of the room. Mirage would know what to do with a sparkling. He returns to his office to finish reports. Reports he understands, that don’t leave residual oral lubricant and doesn’t make his logic circuits try to glitch. If every sparkling was as well behaved as a data-pad, Cybertron would be a lot less noisy and more productive. Well if they were still on Cybertron. 

He doesn’t know how Snowfire manages seven sparklings. He can’t even deal with one. Programmed mechs were never meant to understand sparklings or they would have gone through that phase of life. Who is he kidding? He could never be with Jazz and have a family. He couldn’t take care of sparklings when Jazz is away. Jazz would be better off with a mech, one that could give him everything he ever hoped for and dreamed of. 

Perhaps in another life he and Jazz would have had a family and he isn’t some pre-programmed mech given a spark and made to feel emotions that he could never act on. 

Wouldn’t it be nice to be a normal sparked mech and fall in love. 

Snowfire  
~~~~~

He frowns down at the wailing sparklings before him. They’re in their cage but obviously incapable of cohabitation at the moment. Sometimes he thinks raising sharkticons would be easier. The human holiday Halloween is arriving soon, it would be hilarious to dress up the little terrors as scraplets and set them loose in Ratchet’s med-bay. “Heritage, get your brother’s servo out of your intake.”

He pulls the golden sparkling up, the wet oral lubricant soaked servo plopping out of the red, black and silver sparkling’s intake. 

“We do not eat family members,” he tickles Conquest’s chin making the sparkling giggle. Heritage squeals, reaching up wanting to be picked up. He scoops the sparkling up in his other arm. The other three sparklings pout up at him, servos flexing up at him. “I only have two arms. If Conquest and Heritage promise to stay on the berth we can all cuddle there.”

He looks at the two trouble makers who look at him with bright blue optics. They nod and he smirks, bouncing them a bit and carrying them to the berth. They squeal as he tosses them on the soft padding. 

“Remember, stay,” he touches the berth with one servo as he reaches to tap their nasal ridges. The servo on the berth crackles with electricity that races along all the edges of the berth to magnetize any sparkling who ventures too close. He may act sparkless but he’s not a sparkling murderer, especially when he made said sparklings. He returns to the cage and picks up Fire Ember and Aidyn who get set on the floor before picking up Nebula and Legacy. All four are tossed squealing onto the berth. Firer Ember giggles and crawls back over to be tossed again. He smirks as a pulse goes by, a wail comes from the cage and he gasps. “It seems I forgot someone, who would that be? There’s Fire Ember, Aidyn, Conquest, Heritage, Legacy, Nebula and . . . hmm, I coulda sworn I had another little terror.”

The wail turns into a huff and he chuckles before returning to the cage. 

“I am coming Raidion,” he tickles the pedes poking out from under the thermoblanket pile. The little helm peeks out from under the blanket. “How am I supposed to know you’re still here if I don’t see you?” 

The red, yellow and orange sparkling pouts up at him rubbing his optics. The purple hue shimmers as Raidion sniffles. He scoops the sparkling up, pressing a kiss to the little red helm. Raidion clings to his frame as he walks into the berthroom. He tosses the sparkling onto the berth gaining a giggling scream. 

“Okay, so now my little minions, what are we to do with ourselves?” he climbs on the berth and plops down between the gathered sparklings. They giggle as they bounce up on the berth a little before crowding around him and leaning against him. “Who wants to paint with light?”

Squeals surround him and he smirks at the sparklings’ bright optics. He claps his servos together once and pulls them apart. Light crystals of electricity hang in the air, one of every color. Small servos reach for the shimmering crystals. When one is caught and moved a strand of light follows behind it. Giggles erupt as the crystals are thrown. 

“Oh, so you’d rather throw things?” he smirks, cupping his servos, forming small balls of electricity. Small servos grab them and he makes a basket goal at the end of the berth. He points to it gaining nearly every sparkling’s attention. Conquest throws his ball hard, it explodes against the basket. Giggles cause the gold sparkling to tumble over as the area around the basket shimmers. 

He turns his attention to Aidyn sitting in front of Optimus’ pillow playing with the light crystal he snagged. He pulls out a data-pad of puzzles, handing it to the red, silver and yellow sparkling. Red optics glance up to him, a small smile forms. 

Fire Ember chirps for attention and he glances over to see the yellow, black and orange sparkling throw his ball to the goal and makes it. Small fireworks escape from the basket. “Good job, Ember.”

Conquest huffs, holding out his black servo and he drops a ball into the sparkling’s servo. Heritage throws his ball to the wall nowhere near the goal. He laughs at the triumphant noise the sparkling makes. Legacy throws the ball but it barely reaches halfway down the berth. The white, red and black sparkling pouts at the ball that fizzles and dissipates. He forms another for the sparkling, it glows a little and Legacy throws it with all his might, nearly toppling over. The ball makes it into the basket with fireworks. He claps and Legacy squeals in joy. He makes a pile of the balls and watches the sparklings throw them, the best way for them to play and he doesn’t have to worry about cleaning up. It’s probably not the intended use of his abilities but who the frag cares, they’re his and he’ll use them how he pleases. 

He sets some of their physical toys out on the berth before removing his armor for recharge. This way he won’t pinch small sensitive limbs and if the sparklings get hungry, all they need to do is curl up to his frame and find the feeding tubes. He scoots to the middle of the berth, Optimus will move him if there’s not enough room. Offlining his optics to the sounds of happy chirps and squeals, he falls into recharge as Legacy curls up against him. 

He onlines a few times to a loud squeal but no cries follow them and he falls back into recharge, everytime with a new sparkling against him. He onlines to silence and all seven sparklings curled up in recharge around him. 

Fire Ember hugs his arm, Aidyn leans against his helm, Conquest lays sprawled out on his right thigh and Heritage on his left with Conquest’s pede cuddled to his chest, Legacy is curled up under his left arm and close to his side, Nebula lies with his helm on Fire Ember’s aft, the small white pede in his servo and Raidion lies between his thighs, pedes propped up on his spike cover. Out of all of them, Raidion finds the weirdest recharge poses. He must be a sight, having sparklings covering him, all at odd angles. 

Optimus Prime  
~~~~~~~~~

Sometimes he hated being Prime, the amount of work it takes to make sure a group of mechs don’t implode themselves is sometimes too much. It doesn’t help when your lead engineer is actively, though unconsciously, sabotaging the whole faction. He sighs, rubbing his forehelm as his processor ache slowly grows. He bets Megatron doesn’t have this problem with Shockwave. 

The moment they reached the lab, the sparkling officer was taken from the room and the machine was slightly dismantled to prevent any more accidents. Ironhide refused to allow him to get anywhere near the inventor or sparkling Jazz. Prowl, taking Jazz to find appropriate caretakers, of course would go to the only current carrier on the base, Snowfire. He fears what Jazz would teach them. He feels bad but he hopes Snowfire refused. Seven sparklings are a lot to take care of and the lecture from Ratchet about not practicing safe interfacing nearly made him deactivate of embarrassment. It’s not like he’s a reckless youngling just after the overload and to pit what results in it. 

It was only after the lecture that Snowfire revealed that he doesn’t just spark up randomly in an act of enough energy and material but that he consciously decides to create, though when the triplets came it was learned he doesn’t pick how many. 

Standing outside the quarters, no sound comes from inside but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good or calm beyond the door. Unlocking the door, he braces for chaos but the main room is dark and quiet. The lights flicker on dimly and he sees the “cage”, as Snowfire calls it, empty. He peeks into the sparklings’ room, there aren’t any sparklings in their berths. He frowns a bit, Snowfire normally has them recharging by now. Did they go out? Did something happen? He steps into the berthroom. 

Smiling at six sparklings cuddled up around Snowfire, the frown returns when he notices Raidion hanging off the berth upside down. Of course one has to be the adventurer. Raidion coos up at him as he pulls the sparkling off the magnetic edge. If only these sparklings knew how free they are because of Snowfire’s abilities. Ratchet would have their helms if he learned the sparklings were left on the berth unsupervised. 

Raidion sighs against his chestplates before the purr of recharge comes as he drops his armor beside the berth. The hardness of armor wouldn’t do well with sparklings around, of course the sparklings have their own armor but they could hardly harm adult mechs. He lays the sparkling on his chestplates as he lies down beside Snowfire. A yawn comes from one of the sparklings beside him. Heritage onlines his optics, they flicker a couple times before turning to him. The red and black sparkling tumbles over away from his brothers to crawl over to him and try to climb up his frame. He plops the sparkling beside Raidion. Heritage and Raidion push at each other when Raidion onlines. 

“I am big enough for both of you to have enough space,” he rumbles causing both to freeze, Heritage’s servo gripping Raidion’s jaw, those little digits in the other’s intake. It won’t end well. Raidion bites down and Heritage opens his intake to scream but he sticks a digit in causing the sparkling to yelp. “You online your carrier and you don’t get any treats, understand?”

Heritage nods, optics bright. He removes his digit and the sparkling glares at Raidion. Heritage reaches over to grab Raidion’s servo. 

“If you two start a biting match, I will have no option except to join in,” he rumbles causing both to stare at him. Heritage drops the other’s servo and snaps his intake closed. “Now let’s recharge.”

The sparklings sprawl out over his frame, their small servos kneading his protoform. He would not trade this for anything. Slipping his arm under Snowfire’s shoulders, he pulls the youngling closer. Offlining his optics for recharge, he feels one of the sparklings scooting against his frame before draping his small frame over his neck. Smiling a little, it must be Nebula. Both Raidion and Nebula seem to gravitate towards him, just as Conquest and Legacy do to Snowfire. Fire Ember and Heritage take turns while Aidyn seems content with data-pads like him as a sparkling. 

The only thing that would make this better would be if their other bondmates and sparklings could be here. Although he would need a bigger berth to accommodate them all, four other sparklings running around probably wouldn’t help matters. They’ve barely been able to keep these sparklings from the humans knowledge with the help of a young Sector Seven agent by the designation of Charlie Watson and the U.S. Army Ranger Lieutenant William Lennox. The Lieutenant, though, unlike most humans was unfazed by learning of their species. Their main concerns are for Sector Seven agent Jack Burns and the General of the U.S. Army Rangers, General William Fowler. Both are more hesitant in working with them and often delegate their younger subordinates to interact with them. 

It always amazes him how a species can have such drastic differences in their individuals. It reminds him that first impressions of any species are only the surface and to not judge the whole of a species for one or two ill meant interactions. 

Small servos find his lipplates and pulls, he chuckles as Nebula sprawls out over his faceplates. Small vents hit his nasal ridge, small chirps escape the sparkling. 

Mirage  
~~~~

“Jazz, please, let us go to recharge,” he groans as Jazz runs around the room squealing. Hound massages his shoulders. “This is why I never want sparklings. They’re gremlins.”

“He’ll tire himself out eventually,” Hound presses a kiss to his audio.

“He’s tiring me out just watching him, it’s like all the energy in his normal frame was squeezed in this small frame,” he sighs leaning back into Hound’s arms. “I don’t know how Snowfire deals with seven of these terrors.”

“What kind of carrier is he though?” Hound asks, trailing digits over his frame. “I’ve known some carriers letting their sparklings do everything by themselves and not even bother looking at them, others actually play with them and teach them even before programming. I can’t see a Decepticon being all that engaged in raising sparklings.”

A crash causes both of them to jump and they see Jazz slumped into the used to be tower of wood blocks he was building. He climbs off the couch and scoops up the little Polyhexan. If only his noble creators saw him now, bonded to a mere gardener and caring for a Polyhexan. He’d be the laughing stock and exiled from the family. He takes Jazz to the human bed refitted to be a Cybertronian crib. Perceptor, Ratchet and Hound built the walls of it but he knows Jazz would find a way to get out. He pulls a steel sheet over the top of the crib. Hound frowns at him causing him to shrug, better safe than sorry. He never liked sparklings to begin with, why start now?

He’d much rather have the whole thing like a cage. Jazz always finds escape routes. Sparkling Jazz can’t be any different. 

Jazz  
~~~

He hiccups online, darkness surrounds him. Where . . . where did caretakers go? Noise comes from beyond the darkness. He lets out an audio piercing cry and the noise stops. The darkness is lifted and gold optics of caretaker fills the darkness. 

“What do you want?” Caretaker asks, he sniffles reaching up to caretaker. His small tank grumbles as caretaker lifts him, he kneads at the blue and white chestplates. “I don’t know what that means.”

“I think he’s hungry,” the other caretaker says and he glances over to him. 

“Fine time to need Energon, at least no one will be in the rec room,” caretaker says. 

“Uh, sparklings don’t drink normal Energon,” green caretaker says picking him up out of gold optic caretaker. “I think we need to ask someone who knows what Energon they drink.”

“Onlining Ratchet in the middle of recharge cycle is last on my list of things I want to do before I deactivate,” gold optic caretaker says. 

“I was speaking of Snowfire, obviously he has to feed the seven he has,” green caretaker says, gold optic caretaker makes a noise and his back is rubbed by green caretaker. Purring, his optics nearly offline and he barely notices he’s left home. Glancing around, caretakers take him through expanded home and they reach a door. A ping makes him jump and he glances to gold optic caretaker to see he made the noise pushing something on the wall. The door opens and he sees the white and blue, purple optic mech from before. 

“So you’re the ones stuck with him?” the mech says. Stuck with him, don’t caretakers want him?

“We think he’s hungry but we don’t have any fuel,” green caretaker says.

“He seems Conquest’s age, do you know how to feed a sparkling at that age?” the purple optic mech asks. He glances up to caretakers to see them shaking their helms. How do they not know how to care for him? “Hold on.”

The purple optic mech leaves for a long time before coming back and handing green caretaker a glowing light pink bottle. He reaches for it, glossa sticking out between his lipplates. 

A squeal causes him to forget about the Energon and glance over to see a gold frame the size of his. A playmate! He squirms in green caretaker’s arms to get to playmate. 

“Watch and learn,” the purple optic mech says and he watches the gold playmate get Energon. The nozzle presses against his lipplates and he starts drinking, small black servos gripping the bottle. His optics get tired and soon they offline as he finishes his Energon. 

“Can we get more in case he onlines later?” green caretaker’s voice becomes distant. 

“He should recharge the rest of the cycle, I’ll have to make more and have it delivered,” purple optic mech says.

“If it’s too much work, just give us the ingredient—“ gold optic caretaker says. 

“Can either of you produce Energon?” purple optic mech’s voice gets faint. 

“No . . .” all the voices lull to silence as he falls off into recharge purring in contentment and pulsing love for caretakers and purple optic Energon maker and gold playmate he hopes to see again. Caretakers don’t know how to play but gold playmate would. 

Ironhide  
~~~~~

He thought the worst danger was allowing that Decepticon access to the Prime’s quarters. He never bought into the Decepticon’s excuse of the humans hunting them as a reason to enter the Autobot base. Before anyone had any say though, Optimus allowed the assassin entry and took him to his quarters. Only later did Optimus tell them about the bond and soon after Optimus was toting around a six vorn old sparkling. A sparkling he claimed to be his and Snowfire’s which meant they were bonded before they left Cybertron. Ratchet, of course, demanded a CNA test run to prove the claims and the assassin overheard the demand and produced six other sparklings. 

Nearly all officers learned how Prowl felt during a crash that day. All the results came back to be what they said and Ratchet dragged the two into the office. He’s surprised to have seen them functioning let alone have their audios intact. Optimus never took a liking to any mech when he walked through Iacon. He was always friendly, courteous and kind but always reserved and distant from any mechs or femmes he met. When going out, he had always asked to go to the Archives claiming he missed the data-pads all around him. Did he use that as an excuse to see the assassin? Their sweeps always came up clean and the floor was cleared. 

The primary job of the Elite Guard is to protect the Prime, yet Optimus was meeting with an assassin. The Decepticon seems to care for the Prime enough to volunteer to help Ratchet in the med-bay which came as an as needed basis only. After recent battles, though, everyone saw Snowfire working on repairing the Prime’s frame when others were being tended to.

It turns out the real threat to the Prime is Autobots. The very mechs he leads. There was a reason the Prime was always separated from the civilians and distanced from mechs other than consorts and guards. 

He frowns as he sits on the berth. His tanks churn a bit. How could he have been so worked up about this? No one on the base would actively harm the Prime, especially with the Decepticon around. He is tempted to ask the mech if he would want to train as an Elite Guardsmech. Eventually they’ll return to Cybertron and they will need a new Elite Guard in place. Though he may have competition with Ratchet whose been eying him in becoming a medic.

He winces as pain stabs his tank and he doubles over falling to the floor. Purging, he slumps against the berth. Optics falling offline in the darkness of his quarters.


	2. Day 2

Prowl  
~~~

Onlining his optics, he stares up to the ceiling for a while, Jazz could very well stay a sparkling for the rest of his function, well probably not. Sparklings do upgrade, obviously. Ten vorns and Jazz would be in his youngling frame. Another twenty vorn and he’d be back as an adult. He could wait that long, he’s waited this long before finally accepting that he does indeed love the saboteur. To think it only took his intended turning into a sparkling and a Decepticon pointing it out. 

Sitting up on the edge of the berth, he frowns as the room spins around him. Was there some kind of toxic agent in the smoke? Standing, he falls into the wall and walks along it towards the med-bay. If Wheeljack and Ironhide were experiencing symptoms there definitely was something in the smoke. He stumbles into the med-bay, he glimpses a white frame catching him as he falls. Count on Ratchet to be there when he needs him most. 

“I was unaware drinking yourself into a walking noodle was the best antidote of your potential frag partner turning into a sparkling,” Snowfire’s voice comes beside him. He frowns as he looks up at violet optics and the Decepticon frowning at him. The Decepticon caught him?

“Prowl and Jazz, hm,” Ratchet’s voice comes from out of his view line. His Energon runs cold in his lines. Now two mechs know. Ratchet kneels in front of him with a scanner and he’s helped onto the berth. 

“Has Ironhide or Wheeljack come in with any symptoms?” he asks as Ratchet turns to the data-pad with the results. 

“No one’s seen Ironhide since the incident, he’s probably blowing off steam or visiting the Lennox’s,” Ratchet says turning to him. “You have an elevated core temperature and spark rate.”

“Are you embarrassed at mechs knowing you like Jazz?” Snowfire snickers before returning to the drawer to sort through the random parts. Parts of Wheeljack’s device sit on the counter as well as a red, silver and yellow sparkling with his own bin of parts. 

“That could be it but I want to keep an optic on the symptoms, there’s no telling what all you were exposed to in Wheeljack’s lab,” Ratchet says, he frowns at the medic returning to the counter. 

“Optimus doesn’t have a temperature or high spark rate,” the Decepticon frowns, he notices the hint of worry in the assassin’s tone. Did the mech actually care for the Prime? “Shouldn’t someone check on the walking tank?”

Ratchet frowns at the Decepticon, “he’s not answering his comms. I know Ironhide, he shuts off his comms when he’s agitated. He’ll resurface when he’s ready, besides Wheeljack isn’t showing any symptoms.”

“Jazz turned into a sparkling,” the Decepticon crosses his arms, glaring at the medic. “I am not dealing with a sparkling Prime on top of the ones I already have.”

“It’s safe to assume the smoke doesn’t turn mechs into sparklings,” Ratchet motions to Prowl. “He was the second most exposed other than Wheeljack and Jazz.”

He frowns, they could not afford the Prime ending up like Jazz. With him coming down with something and Jazz incapable of fulfilling his duties and Ironhide MIA, it all falls on Ultra Magnus. Though if they followed the Cybertronian Primacy code, the responsibilities fall onto the Prime’s bondmate until the Prime recovered or a new Prime was named. Was that the Decepticon’s mission? Was that concern just a ploy?

“I would feel better if the walking Armory was found and perfectly grouchy aft of a mech,” Snowfire says holding up a piece to the device before dropping it into a bin. The red sparkling does the same and sets the piece on the counter. 

“What are you doing?” he frowns. Did Ratchet know that was Wheeljack’s device?

“Plotting the end of all Autobots by turning them into incompetent sparklings,” Snowfire says calmly and evenly. He stares at the mech’s back for a pulse. “Oh for Unicron’s sake, Wheeljack is in the brig, Perceptor is scouring the mech’s evil archives of torture devices and I am to find a piece that fits in this to make it unsparkling fry your lover.”

“It’s Autobot intelligence that Snowfire worked with Shockwave prior to becoming an assassin,” Ratchet says turning back to his own work. 

“If you’re worried I’m going to turn your poor overworked CMO into a sparkling, do know this is only the motor and the parts Perceptor is toying with are the true culprit,” the Decepticon says tossing another piece into the bin. “If you want to be useful, you could check on Optimus and make sure he’s not a drooling terror spawn.”

He frowns at Ratchet, meeting the medic’s optics. :Is he capable of caring for sparklings?:

:Those seven are the healthiest sparklings I have ever come across,: Ratchet says shrugging before turning to his work. :They’re kept in good shape, progressing in development exceptionally well. Whatever Snowfire puts up as a front, he’s a good carrier. And according to Optimus an exceptional bondmate. His behavior is most likely a defense mechanism. That sparkling he has with him right now is the calmest and smartest sparkling I have ever seen. Either the sparkling is special needs or has a highly advanced processor. He’s not made a peep since coming in and apparently is trusted enough not to bolt off the counter.: 

Ratchet hands him a chip which he installs into the slot in his wrist. His internal temperature immediately decreases. The room stops spinning and tilting so much. 

“This will help keep your temperature down and your spark pulse normal,” the medic says, he slips off the berth. He should check on the Prime. If anything did happen to the mech it would be better to know as soon as possible rather than hoping the Decepticon tells them. 

He steps up to the Prime’s door and presses the call button. Squeals and screams from inside erupt, the door opens to show Optimus with a yellow, black and orange sparkling chewing on the Prime’s antenna. He peeks into the room to see five other sparklings in the main room all looking at him. Blue and purple optics flick from Optimus to him and back and forth many times. 

“May I help you Prowl?” the Prime asks pulling the sparkling from his helm and cradling him. “Do you try and eat Carrier, Ember?”

The sparkling erupts in squeals and giggles, grabbing the Prime’s digit that tickles the sparkling’s abdomen. He watches the Prime smile down to the sparkling. He hides his frown as he watches the Prime, the mech looks like what he’s heard a proud sire would look like. Surely the Prime could have picked a better mech to have sired sparklings on instead of the Decepticon assassin. “I was told to check on you.”

“Ratchet really doesn’t need to worry about me,” the Prime sighs offering him the option to come inside. He does and stands by the couch away from the sparklings. “No you don’t, Raidion.”

He glances up to see the Prime scoop up the red, yellow and orange sparkling and lets the door close before setting the sparkling down. The four other sparklings start babbling to each other. He finds it odd that they seem to be having a conversation. 

“They are adorable talking to one another. Fire Ember, though, is about ready to use normal Cybertronian glyphs, aren’t you?”

The sparkling squeals as the Prime tosses him a bit in the air before taking a seat on the couch across the room. 

“Just one more vorn, you’ll be talking and carrying on, maybe you’ll translate what your brothers are saying,” the Prime smiles setting the sparkling down. The sparkling runs over to the group and plops down and immediately starts babbling to the others. 

“Ratchet didn’t ask me to check on you, Snowfire did,” he turns his attention from the sparklings to the Prime to see the frown. 

“Snow’s worried about me, about what?” the Prime catches the white, red and black sparkling as he runs to the Prime and nearly collides with the Prime’s leg. “This is hardly the first time I watched over them.”

“We don’t know how exposed you were to the effects of Wheeljack’s explosion,” he frowns as the sparkling curls up on the Prime’s lap. The sparkling is smaller than the rest yet looks like the other two. To his knowledge, he should be older and bigger than Nebula and Raidion. “I have been having symptoms of a virus that could have been passed in the smoke.”

“I didn’t get anywhere near the smoke,” the Prime frowns, petting the red helm. He hears a small purr coming from the sparkling. “Is Wheeljack showing similar symptoms?”

He shakes his helm, a small servo touches his leg making him jump. Glancing down, he sees the red, black and silver sparkling holding up a toy. He glances up to the Prime who laughs at his bewildered look. 

“Heritage would like you to play with him,” the Prime smiles, Heritage taps his leg again and holds up the toy more. 

“I . . . I must return to work,” he stands, not missing the pout on the little faceplates. The Prime nods and stands as well. He hears Heritage sniffle and glances back to see Optimus kneeling in front of the sparkling, digit holding the small servo. 

“Prowl has to work, you have me to play with though,” the Prime says, he opens the door as the sparkling huffs and throws the toy at the Prime which bounces off the Prime’s shoulder. Optimus chuckles. “I am that bad, huh?” 

The door closes as the sparkling’s wail comes. He shakes his helm, sparklings are too sensitive and unpredictable. How could anyone understand them? All he understands from them is that they’re messy and noisy. 

He frowns as he gets to his office and the door doesn’t unlock. The orders scroll over the screen. Ratchet banned him from working until his temperature and stabilizers return to normal. If he can’t get in to his work he can still work from his quarters. 

Returning to his quarters, he turns the lights on, wincing at the brightness and dims them. No working at the moment. He rubs his forehelm as the processor ache grows and even the slightest move of his helm makes it pound. Laying down on his berth makes the pounding stop for a pulse before his helm feels like it’s going to explode. 

There was a reason he was avoiding the Prime’s quarters and the Decepticon. He doesn’t work well with sparklings, never have and never will understand how sparklings work. If he did pursue a relationship with Jazz, he would have to tell him that they would not have sparklings. 

The pain in his processor slowly ebbs away as he lies on his berth with his optics offline. His quarters are silent as he lies on the berth. He’s sure that he can hear his spark pulsing in the silence. Optimus must not care for silence with having that many noise makers running around. Surely the Decepticon doesn’t gag them for silence. What about that one that was with him though. Ratchet said he was quiet. Did the Decepticon do something to that sparkling? Was that the reason he was so quiet, so well behaved? 

Silence is peaceful. Silence comes before recharge. 

Snowfire  
~~~~~~

He drops the motor and the bin of parts at the science wing doors, Aidyn sets his small bin down as well before turning and holding his arms up. He scoops the sparkling up and presses a kiss to the sparkling’s nasal ridge. The caution tape prevents anyone from entering. He snorts at the Autobots excessive and dramatic reaction. If something was in the smoke it would have infected every mech already through the ventilation system. Maybe they’ll all online and everyone will be sparklings. Of course if everyone turned into sparklings they will all starve unless the Decepticons find the base. 

Walking to the Prime’s quarters, he unlocks the door to see the Prime slumped over the chair. The sparklings are sprawled out around the room. Heritage snorts in his recharge as the toy hangs out of his intake. He sets Aidyn down before he starts to pick up the toys scattered around the quarters. Aidyn follows behind him picking up the toys left behind. After all that he picks up the sparklings and tucks them into their berths. 

He nudges the Prime’s pede to make him online. The Prime shifts but doesn’t online. He flicks one of the blue antenna, the Prime groans turning away. He runs a claw along the Prime’s nasal ridge, a servo swats at the irritant. Optimus turns to the back of the chair, he smirks at the exposed aft. Snickering, he smacks the Prime’s aft before grabbing the mech’s helm and covering his intake. Optimus falls out of the chair and onto his lap on the floor. 

He laughs as the Prime flails a little before onlining his optics and sitting up. “Have a nice nap? They really tire a mech out, don’t they?” 

“They are energetic,” Optimus smiles at him, cupping his helm. The Prime leans closer, a wail comes from the sparkling’s room. 

“I got this,” he presses a kiss to the Prime’s helm and walks into the berthroom. Heritage sits up on the berth screaming. “Shh, what’s the matter, little one?” 

He picks the sparkling up, cuddling him close. Creating shimmering crystals above the sparkling quiets him and he gently rocks the sparkling into recharge. He glances back to the door to see the Prime leaning against the doorframe, watching him. Setting the sparkling back onto the berth, he smirks as he walks to the Prime. 

“I hear you inquired about me,” Optimus says wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Glancing up to the Prime, he trails his digits up along the Prime’s chestplates. Optimus pulls him into the berthroom.

“Prowl is sick and Ironhide is missing,” he says plopping down onto the berth. “I can’t afford you becoming a sparkling and running your group of self-harmers.”

Optimus chuckles, “Ironhide made sure I didn’t get anywhere close. He wouldn’t even let Jazz come anywhere near me. What harm could a sparkling do?”

He looks at the Prime crossing his arms. 

“I said a as in one,” Optimus holds up his servos. The Prime lies beside him, the lights dim to set them in darkness. Small specks of light shimmer on the ceiling. Crystals rise out of the floor causing a glow and a quiet hum. Optimus hugs him close, kisses pressing along his audio. “You are perfect, you know that?”

“What did you do?” he smirks taking the Prime’s blue servo in both of his and presses a kiss to each of the digits. 

“Nothing,” Optimus laughs nuzzling his helm. “Yet.”

“What are you planning, Prime?”

“I reserved the rec room for you and the sparklings to have movie day,” Optimus trails kisses down his neck.

“Here I was thinking these kisses were leading up to something,” he smirks turning his helm to steal a kiss. 

“They can if you want them to,” Optimus smirks down to him, servos slide down to his hips. Lipplates brush against his collar strut just as a chorus of cries erupt in the other room. 

“Pause button,” he purrs, claw against the Prime’s lipplates. He slips off the berth to see who needs assistance. Optimus gets up to go to the Energon kitchenette. 

“Where did all the prepared Energon go?” Optimus asks from the other room as he sees all seven sparklings wailing their helms off. 

“I gave them to Mirage and Hound for Jazz,” he picks up Fire Ember and Aidyn before setting them down on the floor and handing them Legacy and Raidion. He picks up Conquest and Heritage, moving them to one arm as he picks up Nebula. He leads Fire Ember and Aidyn into the berthroom and sets the sparklings on the berth. Optimus picks up Aidyn and Fire Ember. He lets his armor fall, Optimus’ armor clatters to the floor as he climbs onto the berth. The sparklings swarm him. Conquest sets Legacy on him before pushing the other sparklings away. He snorts and pulls everyone to him for them to feed. 

“You are still amazing,” Optimus purrs, cupping his helm before running his glossa over his lipplates. He rolls his optics, reaching up to touch the helm of the berth. The magnetizing electricity races along the edge. 

“Raincheck for next recharge cycle,” he nips at the Prime’s lipplate. 

“Of course,” Optimus smiles, digits trailing down his helm. His digits run down the smooth surface of the Prime’s protoform chestplates. Nebula is the first one to leave his feeding pouch to go to Optimus and curl up on his sire’s frame. Optimus pets the white, blue and red frame. The sparkling is really a mini Orion Pax. Holopics confirm the likeness so well. 

“They should be tired out if Fire Ember picks the movie.”

Optimus Prime  
~~~~~~~~~

Raidion climbs onto his chestplates since Nebula claimed his abdomen. Both sparklings sprawl out on top of him, small purrs escaping their frames. Glancing over to Snowfire, the youngling is already in recharge. Reaching over, he threads his digits into Snowfire’s. He really should look after the sparklings more and let Snowfire have some rest. 

He hopes their other carrier is getting enough rest. Sighing as the sparklings finally fall into recharge, he hasn’t been with any of his bondmates since they left Cybertron half a vorn ago. They set their ship’s coordinates to a remote desolate planet but the space bridge malfunctioned with lack of use and they ended up here. In the middle of a war with mechs who knew four of them and nothing of Snowfire. So most of their family chose to become these Decepticons that they were mistaken for and he was forced to assume the role of the Autobot leader. He feels sorry for the mechs they remind everyone of but they must play to the part to survive and figure out how to get home, if home even still exists. 

Snowfire thankfully has developed a recall device that will pull their whole family back if one goes. Apparently no Snowfire was ever created here which is a shame. Their counterparts never met and fell in love. They, instead, became enemies willing to deactivate one another. None of his research tells him what happened but by their arrival they were seen entering caves of the planet in a race to find something important. Whether they found it or not is a mystery. 

If they were still home, they would have plenty of sparkling sitters, his creators, Snowfire’s creators and his brother’s creators. He only hopes that their family back home is looking for them. 

The only time he was ever so close to any kind of fighting was when they had to take that class when their bondmate was called for Military Training. Tarn has vornly training exercises for their enlisted. He was so bad at the class that he very nearly failed if not for the extra practice of his bondmates. 

Snowfire stretches out against him and onlines his optics. The youngling smiles over to him, holding Conquest, Heritage, Legacy and Fire Ember close before slipping off the berth. He picks up Raidion, Nebula and Aidyn to put them back in their berths. Snowfire hooks a claw under his chin, pulling him out of their room. His servos slide to the white hips as he leans down to capture the other’s lipplates. 

The buzz at the door makes them both jump and he glances into the sparkling’s room. “I am very tempted to tell you to put that on silent.”

Snowfire snickers as he goes to reattach his armor. The buzzer goes off as he finishes and he sees Snowfire projecting a soundproof barrier around the sparklings’ room. He steals a kiss as he passes by to answer the door. 

Mirage and Hound stand in the hallway with a screaming Jazz. He reaches out instinctively before hesitating. Mirage shoves Jazz into his servos anyway and he bounces the saboteur turned sparkling softly. The crying starts to quiet and he gently rocks the black and white sparkling. He glances over his shoulder when Snowfire comes into the room. 

“Do you have an Energon bottle?” he asks the two mechs. They both shove one to him and he chuckles. Inviting them in, he sits on the couch to feed Jazz. Snowfire sits beside him, trailing claws over Jazz’s helm as the sparkling feeds. 

Mirage  
~~~~~

What could they kid themselves with? They aren’t creator material. They tried to go to Prowl but no one answered the door. He hates interrupting the Prime but who else could they turn to. He was hoping the Decepticon answered the door but was surprised Optimus was online. 

Sitting on the opposite couch watching the Prime and Decepticon, he can’t help but notice they are the picture of the perfect couple. He had his doubts that Optimus knew anything about sparklings but seeing him with Jazz right now proves otherwise. Before that battle in the cave, Optimus and Ratchet were in a relationship yet two weeks after the battle Optimus emerges with the Decepticons and they fought off the Decepticons. Optimus seemed more distant, more reserved. 

Ironhide had said that’s how he acted on Cybertron when he first became Prime. He thought that maybe the Prime used the Matrix once more and his memories reverted back to the early Primacy but he’s watched the Prime over these weeks. He notices the slight hesitancies of taking command. The hesitancies around their human allies. That all changed when the Decepticon assassin was captured and Optimus claimed him to be his bondmate. 

Ratchet’s look of devastation sent waves around the Autobots. Optimus chose a Decepticon above Ratchet and then the sparklings were found out about and Ratchet confided in him that he never meant to come between bonded mechs. Ratchet was about to approach Snowfire to apologize but he revealed his suspicions that these mechs aren’t the same as who went in the cave. The upcoming dwindling battles confirmed his suspicions. 

Ratchet continued watching Optimus and Snowfire and realized that this Optimus isn’t the same but they couldn’t come out with their claims. They needed a Prime incase the Decepticons attacked. 

He watches as Jazz falls into recharge in the Prime’s arms. Snowfire’s smile makes his spark skip a pulse, the mech has never smiled so sincerely in front of any other Autobot. 

“He should be out for the rest of the cycle,” Optimus whispers transferring Jazz to Hound’s arms. He thanks them and steps out of the quarters. Hound glances over to him. 

“I see what you mean,” Hound replies. “He hasn’t done anything harmful to the Autobots. Telling the others would only result in panic, you know how Cliffjumper is.”

“Cliffjumper’s a good mech, he just jumps to conclusions to fast,” he frowns opening the door for Hound. Hound lays Jazz down in the berth before pulling him to their berthroom. “I highly doubt you can be quiet enough to not make Jazz online.”

“We’ll just have to bounce, rock and bribe him with Energon to go back into recharge,” Hound smirks pulling him onto the berth. 

“He’s your problem if you make him online,” he trails his digits over Hound’s chestplates. 

“Understood, boss,” Hound snickers. He rolls his optics before leaning down to nuzzle his bondmate’s neck. Hound’s digits find his data-port causing him to arch. Blunt digits run along the slots where Hound’s data-plug will slip into moments later. A noise comes from the other room, they both freeze waiting for a cry that would end their fun. No cry comes. 

Ratchet  
~~~~~

He sits alone on his berth, only a few weeks ago he was being held by the love of his function. Now though, a mech who looks like him is with someone else. He knew something was off when Optimus didn’t come to him that first recharge cycle. At the time he thought Optimus just needed space but days went by and Optimus never came. Then they captured the Decepticon assassin and Optimus’ optics lit up. His spark shattered when Optimus claimed the assassin his bondmate. 

He wanted to blame the Decepticons for processor washing Optimus in that cave but then he saw Optimus carrying a sparkling. A six vorn old sparkling. A sparkling that couldn’t have been made in that cave unless it was some kind of time trap. But that still didn’t explain how they knew nothing of Snowfire in their Archives. 

On top of the six vorn old, they had six other sparklings. When he demanded a creators test, Snowfire brought out the others. The test show that their sire was Optimus and their carrier was Snowfire. He had kept a sample of his Optimus’ CNA and tested it to the sparkling samples prior to their donated samples. He didn’t want to believe Mirage’s theories but the negative results proved them right. Out of anger of losing his Optimus, he lectured the two on unsafe interfacing habits and complete disregard that they were in a war. When he finally calmed, he realized what he did but this new Optimus acted exactly like his Optimus he decided to let them go. 

If the Decepticons attacked, they sure as pit needed some kind of Prime. The few battles that followed Optimus’ return revealed that he could fight and seemed to be stronger than his Optimus when fighting Megatron. The Decepticon bade a swift retreat and hasn’t been seen since. Snowfire’s capture was pure luck. Ironhide and Bluestreak were out patrolling when they came upon the lone Decepticon. 

He had his concerns for the Decepticon having as many permissions Optimus entrusted him with but when Optimus and half the Autobots returned from a battle with M.E.C.H., Snowfire treated Optimus’ wounds while he worked on the others. Snowfire is rarely seen outside of the Prime’s quarters and the med-bay since he allowed the mech to help him. It’s always nice to have more medics in case of emergencies and he knows Ironhide has been eyeing the mech to train as an Elite Guardsmech. 

If he was truthful, he is jealous of Snowfire being a carrier. He doesn’t have Carrier codes himself and Optimus, his Optimus didn’t have the codes. Only femmes and certain mechs have carrier codes. Mirage and Jazz were the only mechs on base with the coding and Mirage has adamantly said he would never carry sparklings. Before Jazz became a sparkling, he claimed his spark line has very risky carrying terms. 

Wheeljack’s device was supposed to be some kind of incubator. Jazz was only in the lab to donate CNA and carrier coding for the testing. Their Allspark faded early on in the beginning of the war and it was learned femmes and carrier coded mechs were fewer than stable means of population growth. The mechs went into hiding and the femmes were hunted. Megatron and his Decepticons raided many known neighborhoods with femme residents. They even sparklingnapped the femme sparklings. 

If Megatron ever learned they had five femmes, he doesn’t think the Autobots on base could protect them. The mechs would be safe from Megatron and Starscream, they never paid any attention to the mechs. Soundwave on the other servo, preferred the mechs. He’s actually surprised Soundwave allowed Snowfire out of the Nemesis. He obviously knew Snowfire was a carrier. 

He doesn’t blame Snowfire in keeping the sparklings hidden in the Prime’s quarters. Most of the Autobots wanted to see them when they learned of them, hence Wheeljack working on the incubator. Even after the initial checkup, Snowfire refused him to check on the sparklings. Optimus reserved the rec room for Snowfire and the sparklings tomorrow and has most of the Autobots scheduled for long range patrols. 

Whoever this Optimus is, he loves his bondmate and sparklings. It reminds him of his old relationship with Ironhide. William Lennox’s reply text beeps on his comm. He frowns, Ironhide hasn’t been there since before the incident. That’s unlike Ironhide to not check in with someone. He heads to Ironhide’s quarters and buzz’s the door. No answer comes after a pulse of waiting. 

Frowning at the door, he turns to head back to his quarters. Dirft’s door opens, he glances up at the mech. 

“Perc is working late,” Drift says walking up beside him. “You want to get a cube and be lonely together?”

He snorts but accepts the offer. He can’t blame everyone else about how lonely he is when he pushes everyone away. He selects high grade from the dispenser and Drift raises an optical ridge. Shoving the cube in Drift’s servo, he pours his own high grade. Knocking his cube back, he sees Drift still sipping his and pours himself another. 

Drift’s servos feel warm on his plating as high grade warmed lipplates meet his. He moans as those digits find his data-port and rub the slots. He’s tired of pushing mechs away.


	3. Day 3

Bluestreak  
~~~~~~

He finally gets to see a sparkling. Well, of course it’s just Jazz, but he got turned into a sparkling and that’s almost the same thing, right? It has to be, it’s not like Jazz is going to be acting just like his adult self, he’ll be acting like a sparkling, at least that’s what Ratchet had said in the initial checkup. He only knows that because he was absolutely not eavesdropping on the conversation the curtain over when the incident just happened to happen during his monthly checkup. He just wanted to sneak a peek at the sparkling but Mirage had already picked Jazz up and was walking out the door and he doesn’t think it would be very nice to go to Mirage and Hound’s quarters and ask to see the sparkling. 

He already doesn’t get to see the other seven sparklings on base because the Decepticon is hiding them all away in the Prime’s quarters. He really doesn’t think the Decepticon should be allowed to do that because they have a right to see the sparklings. He was the last sparkling on Cybertron and that’s not right, these sparklings need to be seen by mechs, they need to see other mechs or how else will they make friends?

Maybe he should tell Prowl to order the Decepticon to bring the sparklings out, no sparkling deserves to be locked away in quarters, cut off from the outside world. He wouldn’t like that and he’s sure the sparklings don’t like that, how could they?

He buzzes Prowl’s door, bouncing on his pedes. He just can’t wait to see a sparkling, he’s heard they’re so cute and tiny and adorable to watch. Buzzing the door again and again, he gets worried. Prowl never takes this long to answer the door, did something happen, did Prowl get early Energon because the rec room will be closed for renovation? He types in the code Prowl gave him to enter. The lights are dimmed but not off as he steps into the room. Soft whimpering comes from the berthroom. Prowl’s injured! He runs into the berthroom, skidding to a stop as he sees a small black and white, Praxian sparkling rubbing his ice blue optics. A sparkling! Why didn’t Prowl tell him he had a sparkling?

“Prowl,” he calls, the sparkling sniffles raising his arms. He picks the sparkling up, hugging him close. It’s amazing how sparklings can look exactly like their creators. “We’ll find Prowl and he will absolutely have some explaining to do about this, you, I mean.”

He backs out of Prowl’s quarters bumping into some mech. He turns around to see Mirage. The blue and white noble glances to the sparkling. The scream the noble lets out makes him giggle a little. 

“Prowl turned into a sparkling,” Mirage asks leaning against the wall. He glances down to the sparkling. He really did look like Prowl. Could Prowl have whatever made Jazz turn into a sparkling? “This cannot be happening to me. Why is this happening to me?”

“Raj, are you alright?” he frowns to the noble. Mirage looks up at him, optics way super bright.

“Optimus will know what to do,” Mirage grabs his arm and drags him to the Prime’s quarters. Mirage nearly murders the call button. The door opens to the Decepticon snarling. 

“What do yo—is that Prowl?” the Decepticon’s mood changes faster than he can talk and Prowl’s snatched out of his arms. Mirage shoves him into the quarters and the door closes behind them. Prowl sniffles in the Decepticon’s arms but Snowfire bounces the sparkling and heads to the Energon kitchenette. “You must be so hungry, the meanie Autobots don’t know how to take care of sparklings.”

“Snow, who are you talking to?” Optimus asks from what he supposes is the berthroom. It’s strange to think of Optimus bonded to a mech and doing what he’s heard adult mechs do with bondmates, obviously they did it seven times because of the seven sparklings and that is still so weird to think about. He doesn’t think he would do that with any mech but he hasn’t found the right me—

“—luestreak and Mirage brought Prowl, well sparkling Prowl,” Snowfire’s saying, he really should pay more attention to mechs rather than getting lost in his own thoughts. Wait, how did the Decepticon know his designation? He didn’t know the Decepticon knew any of the Autobots and that’s why they never see him out because he’s afraid of nameless mechs being strangers. “So, which one of you found him?”

“Blue did, are we all going to turn into sparklings?” Mirage asks, deep worry fills the noble’s voice. 

“Do I look like Wheeljack? I don’t have the least bit of idea what that machine was meant to do. I suggest you go to Wheeljack, take him and not be my problem. Have a nice day.”

The Decepticon pushes them out of the quarters and slams the door behind them. Prowl holds the Energon bottle in his small white servos sucking on it as bright blue optics stare up at him. Sparklings are adorable. Mirage grabs his arm and pulls him to Wheeljack’s quarters. 

Mirage nearly murders this call button too. Wheeljack opens the door with bright optics. “You need to fix this now.”

Prowl is taken from his arms once more and shoved into Wheeljack’s arms. All the while sucking on that bottle in the cutest fashion ever. 

Snowfire  
~~~~~~

Jazz and now Prowl are sparklings and Ironhide is still missing. Optimus wraps his arms around him, pressing kisses to his helm. 

“Remember, tire them out and we’ll cash in that rain check,” Optimus purrs in his audio, he steals a kiss before walking into the sparkling’s berthroom. Fire Ember rubs his optics as he sits on his berth, those bright blue optics brighten when they land on him and small yellow arms shoot up in the air, black servos flexing for him. He smiles picking up the sparkling and presses a kiss to the yellow and black helm. “You filled the storage with Energon?”

“With Prowl and Jazz sparklings, I figured better to have some in storage,” he says setting Fire Ember on the floor to pick up Raidion to hand to Optimus, then hands Nebula to him. Fire Ember holds out his arms for Legacy. He sets Aidyn on the floor before picking up Conquest and Heritage. “The Energon is diluted more, Raidion and Nebula wouldn’t like it but the older sparklings shouldn’t mind it.” 

They walk into the rec room to see shipping boxes stacked in the corner. He frowns at the boxes before stepping around the couch to see tons of pillows piled up. 

“Wow,” he snorts and sets Conquest and Heritage down on the pillows. Conquest purrs and kneads the one he’s on. Heritage squeals and hops from pillow to pillow. 

“I had them delivered this morning and unpacked them before you got up,” Optimus catches his lipplates. “There’s also a library of movies for the sparklings under the vid screen.”

“You are going to spoil me and the sparklings,” he snickers taking Nebula and Raidion. Optimus smirks and kisses his helm before setting up the fence pillars. He touches one and electricity jumps to each of them creating a seven foot magnetic fence meant to catch any wayward sparklings from escaping. 

“I have a few data-pads to work through before I can join you,” Optimus cups his helm and kisses him softly. Optimus turns to leave, he smacks the Prime’s aft causing the Prime to jump and yelp. Fire Ember giggles and mirrors his sire, Optimus chuckles and walks out. He turns to the sparklings to see them making a pillow fort. 

“Okay, what movie do you guys want to watch?” he asks, Fire Ember hops up and runs to the shelves before handing a case up to him. “Frozen. You just want me to show you the magic.”

He chuckles, tapping the sparkling’s nasal ridge. Sliding the disk into the Cybertronian console, the movie starts with the company’s logo and music. The sparklings’ optics light up as the “ice men” sing their song and he translate it into Cybertronian creating the scene out on the floor in front of them. The light projections mirror the vidscreen perfectly. He’s watched this movie many times, as Raidion’s and Aidyn’s favorite and now apparently Fire Ember’s. 

When the ball room scene comes on all the sparklings squeal in delight with anticipation of what’s to come. They all chant with Anna to do the magic.

“Ready,” he smirks to the sparklings, all helms bob up and down as he throws a ball of electricity up in the air. It explodes into snow, he stomps his pede on the floor and ice covers the floor within the fence. Heritage squeals and hops up only to go sliding around on the ice. He makes a snowman to dance with the sparkling and they fall down giggling. 

As the movie plays on the more intricate the light fragments get and more the sparklings squeals get louder. 

Optimus Prime  
~~~~~~~~~

The data-pads take longer than what he thought but by the time that he finishes them and gets to the rec room he sees the ending of Frozen playing out on the vidscreen and in the rec room. The sparklings cheer and clap. They squeal and Snowfire laughs and puts in Frozen Fever. He smiles as the sparklings watch Snowfire play with the light fragmented cake. Snowfire sneezes and two snowgies half the size of Legacy pop up behind a seemingly preoccupied Snowfire. The sparklings giggle as the snowgies run away and hide when Snowfire turns. 

As Snowfire sings the birthday song in Cybertronian more snowgies pop up and the laughter gets louder. He has a hard time keeping quiet to watch them have fun. The short film ends with snowgies chasing one another. 

“How does he do that?” a voice catches his attention and he glances down to see Agent Watson peeking into the rec room. 

“Do what?” he asks. 

“Make it snow,” Agent Watson points to the snowgies. 

“It’s his abilities,” he says as the snowgies pile up and pop out like a cannon at the end. All the snowgies pile up on the couch. 

“He’s Elsa in Cybertronians?” Agent Watson asks, he chuckles. 

“No, he doesn’t have ice powers,” Optimus smiles, Agent Watson points to it snowing in preparation for the Frozen Adventure.

“Everything has a charge, his ability is electric. He’s powerful enough to chill the air and bond molecules to make snow or fire or move air or object as well control light and shadows.”

Agent Watson gapes at him, “and the Autobots are still alive, how?” 

He frowns down at the Sector Seven agent, “Snowfire’s my bonded, those are our creations. He’s the only mech who can harness the Allspark’s power as I can the Matrix.”

“What about the Snowgies?” Agent Watson asks. “He has complete control of them, right?”

“They’re mostly light fragments,” he says as the short film ends. The sparklings hug the snowgies as Frozen two begins. “He is in complete control.”

He has to say the second movie is his favorite but Frozen Adventure is his second because it explores traditions yet he likes the snowgies in Fever. 

“He’s translating the movie into Cybertronian?” Agent Watson asks as Elsa and Anna play. Snowfire does each of the voices as well, causing the human to be surprised. Agent Watson gasps when it gets to the singing. Snowfire sings the lullaby, trailing digits along the sparkling’s helms. Near the end of the lullaby, Arendelle builds itself behind Snowfire. The human steps into the room to get a closer look. He steps in after the human. Snowfire glances up to him without breaking stride. The leaf blows around the sparklings as he takes a seat on the couch as the snowgies hop away to make room. He smirks as Snowfire sings Kristoff’s verse around him. 

The sparklings babble as Snowfire does the charades. He laughs as they erupt in laughter afterward. 

He notices out of the corner of his optic, when Elsa’s song nears, that Agent Watson covers her mouth. Snowfire sings as the light fragment of Elsa walks through the castle. Snowfire hits the high notes flawlessly and Agent Watson’s jaw drops. The magical scene surrounds them, the ice crystals dancing around them as Snowfire sings. 

Jazz  
~~~~

Caretaker Mira and Caretaker How finally allowed him to leave home to adventure. He walks down the hallway until he comes to another hallway. Frowning as he peeks around all the corners, there’s no one around. He hears music from one of the hallways and he really needs to get to it. He absolutely loves music. He looks out the door way to see open space but the music comes from beyond that open space. 

A slight noise comes from behind him and he glances back to see a blur at the corner of the other hallway. He waits for a bit but the hallway stays empty. Peeking around the corner to the open part, he slips to the other side of the wall to peek around it. Pulses later a white helm with blue optics peeks around the corner. Another playmate! He squeals and jumps out of the hiding spot. The other playmate yelps and hides again. He frowns before hiding again. New playmate is shy.

He peeks around the corner to see the other playmate take a peek before peeking longer. He steps out from behind the wall with a little wave. The other playmate hides again and he frowns. The music behind him starts again and the other playmate peeks back out. He smiles and waves before dancing to the music. He glances to the other playmate to see him still watching. Holding out his servo for the other playmate to come closer, he sees the white servo flexing on the wall before the other playmate steps out from hiding. He waves again and the other playmate waves shyly. Holding out his servo, he waits for the other playmate to take his. 

He smiles and points towards the music, the other playmates glances in the direction. Movement behind the other playmate gains his attention and he notices the wings fluttering. He feels his audial horns twitch with want to touch those wings. The other playmate glances to his audial horns, those wings flutter faster. He releases his wings as a pink femme walks by, the other playmate squeals and bounces happily, pointing to his wings. The femme smiles and pats their helms. 

He giggles and pulls the other playmate towards the music. The music gets louder, closer to the peak and he pulls the other playmate into the room to see what’s going on. He sees colorful crystals floating in the air as the purple optic mech who had the golden playmate walks to them before stepping in the middle. A burst of light shoots up and explodes into lots of crystals shimmering down. He runs into the room to find seven other playmates. 

The other playmate comes over to sit and watch too. He pulls the other playmate close and hugs him when the next song starts sad. A couple pulses later there are giants standing around them and he notices the little scene playing out on the floor. He squeals in awe as the wave crashes through the rocks but heads to the pretty castle. The wave is stopped with an ice wall. 

The best part of the whole show other than the music is the pretty sparkly blue horse. That is until he sees the big snow monster and the baby snow monster snowballs. He grabs one as they run around the room and squeals. 

Why can’t caretaker Mira and caretaker How be this entertaining? He’d much rather have this caretaker. Was the other playmate’s caretaker this entertaining?

“It seems we got two other in the audience,” fun caretaker says. 

“I will let their caretakers know,” he glances over to see the big mech he really wanted to meet. The mech gets up and leaves. Why did that mech have to always leave?

Hound  
~~~~~

How could he have lost a sparkling? Especially if that sparkling is Jazz. He just hopes Jazz is still in the base. What if Jazz escaped the base? What if the Decepticons found Jazz? Found out where the base was because he lost Jazz?

He runs out of his quarters, slamming into something. Servos grab his shoulders and he glances up to see Optimus looking down to him. 

“Sir . . . I . . .”

“Jazz is in the rec room,” Optimus says, he frowns glancing towards the room. How did Optimus know? “I have had the same look many times before. Raidion enjoys escaping especially when I watch him. I am not as entertaining as Snowfire.”

Commotion comes from behind him and he turns to see Wheeljack slam right into the wall. The inventor stares at the wall like it’s the walls fault for being there. 

“Wheeljack, Prowl is in the rec room,” Optimus says and the inventor sags in relief.

“I don’t know how he got out, the door wasn’t opened at all,” Wheeljack vents hard. 

“Sparklings are curious but they are cautious,” Optimus says leading them to the rec room. “They would not have gone far.”

They enter the rec room to see the sparklings running around the rec room inside a fence of some sort. He sees Jazz playing with Prowl off to the side. They are building some kind of building out of interlocking bricks. He smiles as he hears Jazz babbling to Prowl as they build whatever it is. 

“Wow, this is amazing technology,” Wheeljack kneels at the fence to see the posts and shimmering mesh holding them together. Wheeljaack reaches for the flimsy mech only to have his servo go through it. A squeal causes both of them to glance up to see the red, black and silver sparkling run to the not-mesh. The sparkling runs into it and stops immediately before stepping back and takes off running behind the couch. “Fascinating, who built it?”

“Snowfire,” Optimus says stepping through the magnetic mesh. A yellow, black and orange sparkling runs up to the Prime, jumping up and Optimus catches him only to throw him up in the air. 

“How is it powered? Energon?” Wheeljack inspects the posts of the fence. 

“Snowfire charges it and it stays this way until he discharges it,” Optimus tickles the sparkling who squeals out in laughter. He can’t help but smile at the two. Something white and small catches his attention and he sees armless snowmen running around, being chased by the predominantly gold sparkling and white, red and black sparkling. 

“What are these?” he grabs one as it runs by. It smiles at him. 

“Those are snowgies from the movie Frozen,” he glances down to Agent Watson who helps the white, blue and red sparkling paint. 

“How did they get out?” he frowns as it bounces in his servo then jumps off his servo. It bounces on the ground before running off. 

“Snowfire made them,” Agent Watson points to the Decepticon who sits with the red, yellow and orange sparkling playing basketball with balls of light. He sees Snowfire hand the sparkling a ball and the sparkling throws it. It bounces off the hoop before falling in and exploding in a firework. Snowfire hands him another one which misses the hoop and fizzles out. Looking closer, he sees the ball form in Snowfire’s servo before the Decepticon hands it to the sparkling. “He’s like super powerful. You should have seen it when he was recreating the movie in Cybertronian.”

“Super powerful?” he repeats watching the sparkling get angry at missing the hoop and the Decepticon takes the sparkling’s balled servos. The sparkling’s pout is adorable and the sparkling takes off running to play with the blocks by Jazz and Prowl. He notices a red, silver and yellow sparkling sitting by himself with a data-pad, frowning at the sight of all these other sparklings running around, carrying on and this sparkling is sitting alone. Was there something wrong with him?

He watches the Decepticon look around at the sparklings, the gold, black and silver sparkling runs towards the Decepticon, jumping into the air. Snowfire falls back when he catches the sparkling who now giggles. 

“Let’s play capture the Decepticon,” he hears Optimus say to the sparkling on his lap. The little giggle makes his spark light. Optimus sets the sparkling down and the yellow, black and orange sparkling jumps on Snowfire with a battle cry. The other sparklings, except Jazz and Prowl glance up and run over to jump onto the Decepticon. 

“You’ve got me,” Snowfire rasps, reaching up to the air before going limp. The sparklings giggle and Snowfire smiles at them. “I think it’s time for recharge, little ones.”

He smiles as he sees some sparklings trying to hide their rubbing optics and tired looks while others shake their helm. The small white, red and black sparkling sprawls out on Snowfire’s chestplates already in recharge. He glances over to Jazz and Prowl. Prowl is slumped over, optics offline but Jazz is chattering away. 

Picking up Jazz, the sparkling starts screaming as loud as he can. Prowl jumps online crying and reaching up. Jazz reaches down for Prowl. 

“I think you should keep them together,” Snowfire shrugs. He glances to Wheeljack. 

“Fine by me,” Wheeljack shrugs still examining the fence. He picks up Prowl and Jazz wraps his little arms around Prowl. Wheeljack jumps when the fence mesh disappears, he glances to see Snowfire touching one of the posts. The posts start collapsing into disks before magnetizing into a stack. “Absolutely amazing,”

Optimus picks up the stack when he passes by. Snowfire hands the Prime two sparklings before handing the two older ones a smaller sparkling each. Snowfire carries one sparkling and some of the large pillows. The whole thing looks like nothing he’d ever imagine. Decepticons aren’t supposed to be this caring or loving. They are supposed to be ruthless and mean and take everything they want. 

He watches them walk out, Snowfire keeping pace with the two sparklings and Optimus going on ahead of them. Carrying Prowl and Jazz to the quarters, Mirage greets him with a frown when he sees two sparklings. 

“We can barely take care of Jazz, how do we take care of two sparklings?” Mirage frowns as he sets both of them in the berth. 

“Now he has a playmate,” he says taking Mirage’s servos, he pulls the noble into the berthroom. “I found out something about the Decepticon when I found Jazz.”

“You lost Jazz, Hound, how can you lose a sparkling?” Mirage frowns at him. “How did he even leave the quarters? Did you leave the door open?”

“Mirage, we’re taking care of Jazz, just because he’s a sparkling doesn’t mean he’s stupid,” he crosses his arms and glares at Mirage. “He was smart enough to get to the rec room and stay there. Of course he got trapped in the sparkling fence Snowfire made.”

“You said there was something about the Decepticon?”

“Yeah, apparently he’s like Armageddon powerful,” he says pulling Mirage on the berth. “Agent Watson said he recreated the whole series of Frozen movies and I saw him creating electric basketballs and he made tons of these things called snowgies, they’re like small armless snow—“

Mirage shuts him up with lipplates over his. “Are you going to talk about how amazing you think the Decepticon is or be with me?”

Fire Ember  
~~~~~~~

Carrier’s laugh makes him glance at the doorway. He loves that Carrier is always happy around Sire. He slips out of his berth, Sire and Carrier don’t know he can do that. Walking to the berthroom door, he opens it a little to see Sire and Carrier cuddling on the berth. He frowns a bit, why didn’t they want to cuddle with him?

Everything was perfect between him and Sire and Carrier before brothers came. He got to cuddle them more but now there’s too many. 

“Snowfire,” Sire yelps, Carrier pushes Sire away and runs into the washracks. Frowning as Sire follows Carrier into the washracks, he slips into the berthroom to peek in the washracks. Carrier purges in the stall. When Carrier does that that means he’s getting a new brother. Crossing his arms and pouting, he doesn’t want more brothers. The more brothers he has the less attention he get. If he gets more brothers eventually Sire and Carrier won’t love him anymore. “You are sparked?”

“No,” Carrier frowns up at Sire. If Carrier’s not sparked why is Carrier sick? Carrier doesn’t ever get sick. 

“Do you want to go back to the berth?” Sire asks, Carrier nods and Sire helps Carrier up. He scurries to the main door to hide. 

“I’m sorry,” Carrier sighs.

“I enjoy cuddling just as much as the other,” Sire smiles pressing a kiss to Carrier’s helm. “You are going to Ratchet tomorrow.”


	4. Day 4

Aidyn  
~~~~

Onlining with his thermoblanket snuggly around him, his red optics online to the dim berthroom. Carrier is normally in here before he onlines. Glancing around, his brothers are all still in recharge. Well except Fire Ember. The yellow sparkling wiggles his aft in the air as he tries doing a servo stand in his berth. Frowning as his older brother hooks his legs over the edge of the railing before turning and hanging by his servos. Little grunts escape the other sparkling as the little yellow pedes try to find the berth padding. When pedes find the surface, Fire Ember gets down on his knees before starting to find the floor in the same manner. 

Bright blue optics scan the room when Fire Ember gets on the floor and they freeze on him. He crawls to the corner of the berth and reaches up to the top of the railing. It falls down and he slips down to the floor. Blue optics follow him before a silver servo grabs his shoulder, tugging it and pointing to the berth. He shrugs and continues out of the room. 

Carrier and Sire must be in recharge, worn out from yesterday. Fire Ember’s servo slides into his and starts swinging their arms. How could Fire Ember be older than him yet act so young? He walks into the Energon storage and pulls out a drawer in the cabinet to stand on to reach the handle. He pulls it open on his hop down and grabs a bottle, Fire Ember reaches for one and he jumps to take it away, shaking his helm. Fire Ember pouts at him and goes to grab the bottle in his servo. He huffs and points to the glyphs and points to himself. Carrier and Sire label the bottles. He grabs Fire Ember’s and points to the glyph before pointing to Fire Ember. He points to the other glyphs and makes the other’s attention grabbing clicks. 

Fire Ember points to his bottle and makes his designation clicks. He nods and grabs the bottles for the others for when they online. Fire Ember takes Raidion’s, Nebula’s and Legacy’s. He takes Conquest’s and Heritage’s and closes the door and drawer. They head back to their berthroom and distribute the bottles through the railing holes. He helps Fire Ember back into his berth before returning to his and pulling up the railing until it locks into place. 

He drinks his Energon, glancing over to Fire Ember who looks at him while drinking his own Energon. Those bright blue optics flicking from him to the corner of the railing as if trying to figure out how he got the railing down. If Fire Ember expects him to tell him how to escape their berths, he has another thing coming. He’s not about to reveal to creators that he knows how his berth works. 

Glancing back to the yellow and black sparkling, he sees him in recharge with the Energon bottle hanging out of his intake. If ever there was a definition of sparkling, Fire Ember would be it. 

He looks up at the chronometer on the wall, the only physical one he’s ever seen. It’s not like sparklings have chronometers like creators seem to do. It’s past the time creators normally get up and he frowns at the machine. Did creators get that wore out? Are they that old? Great Grand Carrier gets tired. Maybe he should go check on Creators, but what could he do if they need help? He can’t call for help, all he can do is scream. He hates being so useless and incapable of doing helpful things. 

Dropping his railing down and slipping off the berth, he walks quietly through their room. Peeking out the doorway and slinking close to the wall to his right, he reaches the Creator’s berthroom. It’s quiet inside. Did Creators leave and abandon them? He snorts quietly, Carrier wouldn’t do that. He may joke with Raidion but he wouldn’t actually leave them. Listening closer, he only hears Sire’s venting. Did Carrier have to help these strange mechs that make funny faces at them?

Pushing the door open slowly and slipping in, he freezes when he hears Sire shift on the berth and venting change from recharge to online. 

Optimus Prime  
~~~~~~~~~

The quarters are quiet as he onlines but doesn’t online his optics. He loves these small moments when there is calm and peace. Very rarely has he been able to just lie in berth and have silence. It never lasts long and he’s sure something will force him to online and lose the peaceful feeling. These Autobots seem never ending in their need for him. 

Before this whole ordeal with the space bridge malfunction, he was content to be the “spare”. He let his brother do all the things required to become a Prime, Neminian is the oldest of their siblings and fan favorite among the Cybertronians. He should have pain more attention to the classes. 

He frowns at the absence of Snowfire’s frame against his and onlines his optics to see the berth in front of him empty. Did Snowfire take the sparklings out? Rarely does Snowfire get up early and only when he gets up early. Moving to sit up, a sigh causes him to freeze and stare at the berth. Did Snowfire leave a sparkling in the berth with him?

Slowly he pulls back the thermoblanket, a small white helm rests against his side. Legacy or Nebula? Blue lines cover the sparkling’s shoulders and wings. Nebula? Black patches run along the sparkling’s thin sides making him look more like a femme than mech. He covers the sparkling up, optics bright as he stares at the wall. None of their sparklings are white, blue and black. Those are Snowfire’s colors. Snowfire . . . was exposed to the same thing Jazz and Prowl were. Snowfire wasn’t’ anywhere near the lab. 

He peeks under the blanket once more to see sparkling Snowfire uncurl and sprawl out. The mech really does look like a femme as a sparkling. Do hosts all look like femmes as sparklings? Or maybe all seekers look like a femme. Frowning down at his bondmate turned sparkling, how is he going to take care of the sparklings and do the Primely duties?

Sparkling Snowfire curls back up to his side, small claws finding crevices in his armor to hold onto. Is Snowfire like their sparklings as a sparkling or is he going to act the same as he did as an adult? Would Snowfire remember him? Would Snowfire remember their sparklings? What Energon would Snowfire drink?

He unhooks Snowfire’s claws from his frame before pulling the sparkling up to his chestplates. Snowfire sighs, burrowing into his chestplates. He slips off the berth, frowning when he sees the mostly red sparkling standing, hiding behind the berthroom door. Red optics are bright when they focus on Snowfire’s frame. 

“Do you want to come with me as I carry carrier to Ratchet?” he asks Aidyn, moving Snowfire to one arm and scoops Aidyn up in his free arm. He doesn’t miss Aidyn’s frown of discomfort. “You can push all the keypads for me.”

Aidyn wiggles a digit in the air with a smile ready to push buttons. He presses a kiss to Aidyn’s helm. Frowning as he passes by the sparkling’s room, he really shouldn’t leave them alone but how can he keep them all together. Aidyn squirms in his arms and he sets the sparkling down. Aidyn runs into the berthroom and pulls out his wagon. He watches as the sparkling pull off his berth railing and puts it on the wagon before pulling the berth pad on the railing and wagon. Aidyn goes to his brother’s berths and drops down the railings. 

Did Snowfire know Aidyn could do that? Aidyn grabs the Energon bottle and sets it on the floor. Who got the Energon bottles? Aidyn pulls Legacy out of the berth before putting him on the wagon contraption. He watches as the sparkling arranges his younger brothers on the berth pad before tying a rope to the handle and holding it up to him. 

Aidyn shakes Fire Ember online and helps him out of berth. He does the same with Conquest and Heritage. Those two, though, glare at Aidyn before getting an Energon bottle stuffed into their intake. Aidyn walks up to him, little servo in the air and wiggles his digit up to him. He chuckles and picks the sparkling up and pulls the wagon. 

Ratchet  
~~~~~

His helm still hurts from the hangover yesterday. He should have quit with the high grade when he spilled the cube on himself but no, he had to have a couple more and decided to fall into berth with Drift. When he onlined, Drift was gone and his helm pounded like Trypticon decided to stomp on it. 

There’s still no messages from Ironhide. Frowning at the empty med-bay. There is one message, one from Optimus. His spark pulses faster before he stamps down any hope of Optimus coming back to him. The chronostamp reveals it’s a message from yesterday. Opening it, he learns Prowl turned into a sparkling. Jazz is a sparkling, now Prowl. Who else is going to mysteriously turn into a sparkling?

The med-bay doors open to a small giggle. Oh great, did the other Autobots turn into sparklings. He frowns when he sees Optimus walk in, the red sparkling, Aidyn, in his arm giggling. A white sparkling in the other, three sparklings sit on the wagon being pulled, three sparklings walk in following the Prime. 

“You gained a sparkling,” he frowns as Optimus sets Aidyn on the floor. His attention turns to the white, blue and black sparkling in recharge. He’s seen that frame before. “Don’t tell me . . .”

“Snowfire,” Optimus whispers, glancing down to the sparkling who sighs and shifts in the Prime’s arms. “I onlined to him in the berth like this. He wasn’t anywhere near the lab or the smoke.”

“Everyone could have been exposed,” he stares off imagining the Decepticons learning of where their base is and a base full of sparklings. Defenseless sparklings. “Did he have any strange symptoms?”

“He purged, he only ever does that in the early stages of being sparked,” Optimus says quietly. He glances over the femme looking mech. many femmes did decide to get their frames altered. Did Snowfire? Is that how he hid the reason he had sparklings? Claiming them to be from a femme he had claimed? “Can you tell if this is permanent or some side effect of the machine? I do not know how he acts as a sparkling. We only met in passing and I was a fool with my optics glued to a data-pad. Right now I am keeping him in recharge until I can contact his carrier.”

“You’re keeping—how can you control a mech, that’s—“

“My field, my spark and he is still a host with our symbionts,” Optimus says moving the mech turned sparkling as the little frame shifts again. “They can keep him from onlining for a while, with recharge fluxes.”

“I’ve called for Jazz and Prowl to be brought in for tests, surely there’s something that is a trigger,” he says gathering some scanners. He motions for Opitmus to set the sparkling on the med-berth. The Prime frowns, looking down at Snowfire, he opens his intake to speak but Optimus tilts his helm nad raises an optic ridge. The Prime lays Snowfire on the med-berth. 

The spark scanner shows the sparkling-mech’s spark the same as that initial scan. The rest of the scans come back without any oddities. Mirage and Hound walk in, the sparklings hover around Optimus stealing glances at the two mechs. 

Small chirps escape the sparklings and Optimus kneels down to get closer to them. He motions for Mirage and Hound to bring Prowl and Jazz to another berth. He scans the two, frowning when he notices the same piece of coding that Snowfire had. Something to look for. 

“They have the same piece of coding, whether they had it before becoming sparklings is the question," he says motioning Optimus to a berth. Optimus sits on it, strange, Optimus, his Optimus, never was so compliant. He vents a sigh of relief when Optimus doesn’t have the coding. He scans Mirage and Hound, they come back clean. He schedules every Autobot for a check-up. Every mech and femme acknowledges except Ironhide. 

Ironhide  
~~~~~

Sound makes him online, a loud banging noise. Oh no, the monster is back. He dives under the berth again. Whimpers escape him as he sees light race along the floor and the shadow of the monster follows the light. The monster’s pedes come closer and he scoots farther back under the berth. White pedes come into view and he clamps his servos over his intake when a gasp escapes him. The pedes back up before the monster kneels. Blue optics appear and widen when they spot him. 

“Ironhide,” the mech, not monster says, white servo reaching out to him. Slowly he scoots closer to poke the digits before sliding his silver servo in the white one. He’s pulled out from under the berth and cuddled close to the warm frame. “I should have checked on you sooner.”

He clings to the red and white frame, pawing at the chestplates. He’s hungry. 

“You must be starving,” the mech says, he chirps sadly when the mech doesn’t open his chestplates. “We’ll get you some Energon.”

He huddles closer as they leave the big dark room. What if the monster was out here? Would this mech protect him? He’s taken to an even larger room where he sees other sparklings. He also sees a big red and blue mech who could absolutely fight off a big scary monster. That mech also has bottles of Energon he’s handing out to the other sparklings, he squirms in the red and white’s servos trying to get to the Energon before it’s all gone.

“Alright, alright, you don’t want me anymore,” the mech says and hands him over to the red and blue mech who hands him an Energon bottle. He happily sucks on it, optics closing as he snuggles into the warm and calm frame of the mech. he feels another field join his and onlines his optics to see a red, orange and yellow sparkling crawling on the red and blue mech’s lap. The other sparkling is handed an Energon bottle. He doesn’t want to share this mech with whoever this sparkling is. 

He pushes the sparkling away but the mech’s blue servo takes his and pins it to his frame. The other sparkling settles against the mech’s abdomen. Purple optics watch him intently. He frowns around his bottle as the other sparkling purrs. The blue servo of the nice, calm Energon giver comes up to the other sparkling, thumb running over the other’s helm. Purple optics dim as the other leans more on the big mech. 

He hears a small chirp from behind him and squirms around to look at the noise maker. He sees a gold and black sparkling holding up an empty Energon bottle to the nice, calm Energon giver. The sparkling gets handed another bottle which he takes to the little white and red sparkling. 

“I don’t know how you plan to watch all these sparklings by yourself, Prime,” the mech who brought him here says looking around. He follows the mech’s gaze around to see ten sparklings scattered around the large room. 

“I will be getting some help when Bluestreak finishes his shift,” the nice, calm Energon giver says, he coos at the deep rumble of the mech’s voice. “Besides sparklings take naps after Energon.”

His optics do feel heavy and he leans more on the nice, calm Energon giver. Glancing over to the other sparkling, the other one is already in recharge. The last thing he hears is his helm pinging off the big mech’s armor. 

Rubbing his optics, he onlines to see it somewhat dim but still light. He turns over on a berth to see other sparklings in berths around him. The outer berths have walls around them. Sitting up, he realizes this isn’t a berth but a large play pen with a sheet thrown over the top. He crawls over to the edge to peek under the sheet to see the big mech lying on the couch. A white sparkling lies sprawled out on his chestplates. 

Why does that sparkling get special attention? It’s not far the big mech has a favorite sparkling.

Bluestreak  
~~~~~~~

He nearly bursts with energy as he races back to the bas as his shift winds down. He never imagined that Optimus Prime, the Prime, would ask him to watch sparklings. Not just any sparklings either but the Prime’s own sparklings plus Jazz and Prowl. He can’t wait to have fun playing with them all. What kind of games would they want to play, did they know how to play games? Could he teach them games?

Transforming at the base doors, he nearly runs into the rec room to start playing but when he gets into the room, everything is quiet. No sparklings in sight but he hears the sound of a mech venting. He rounds the couch to see the Prime lying on it with a white sparkling sprawled out over his chestplates. He hasn’t ever seen this sparkling before. He or she looks like Snowfire but Snowfire couldn’t become a sparkling, could he?

Glancing around the room, he spots a tent like structure in the corner of the room. 

“The sparklings are recharging right now, they will online in a few kliks,” the Prime says quietly and he glances over to see the Prime sitting up. 

“Is that . . . Snowfire?” he has to ask. The Prime nods as the sparkling shifts. “How’d he turn into a sparkling?”

“I have no idea,” the Prime says trailing a blue digit down the white helm. It must be so weird to have a bondmate turn into a sparkling. “I have Inferno looking over the security tapes of the base. We will know by tomorrow.”

A small chirp comes from the tent and he meets the Prime’s gaze, Optimus nods towards the tent. He nearly teleports to the tent, he would if he could. Pulling up the sheet, he sees a black and silver sparkling he hasn’t seen before. He looks oddly like Ironhide. Did Ironhide turn into a sparkling? What keeps the rest of them from turning into sparklings? Are they all going to turn into sparklings? He doesn’t really want to be a sparkling again but it won’t be the end of the world if it happened. Glancing to the playpen, he sees more optics onlining and little limbs and frames stretching. They all look so adorable. 

“Come help me set up the fence, then you can have the whole room to play in,” the Prime says holding disks. He hops over to take five disks and watches the Prime drop them a few pedes apart, he follows the Prime’s pattern on the other side of the room. They meet up at the doorway with a different looking pillar. “It is a good thing Snowfire developed a battery system for this.”

Optimus Prime touches the top and electricity jumps from pillar to pillar, cascading down in a waterfall type fashion until there’s a mesh fence surrounding the area. That is so cool. 

“Snowfire must be really spart to make all this stuff,” he says moving his servo through the fence. 

“He had a lot of time on his servos,” he glances up when he hears sadness in the Prime’s voice to see the Prime looking down to the white sparkling. 

“Is he going to online and play?” he asks looking at the others huddled around the edge of the play pen. 

“Not yet, I will need help with the sparklings when he onlines,” Optimus Prime says going back to sit on the couch. 

“I can help,” he’s sure he’s capable in helping with whatever sparklings need.

“You are helping and I appreciate your help but I cannot give Snowfire the Energon he made, he needs another carrier’s Energon, preferably his own carrier’s,” Optimus says. 

“His carrier is on Earth?” he gasps. Carriers were rare now a days but if Snowfire was a Decepticon that meant his carrier was probably with the Decepticons. Was Optimus going to plan a rescue to get Snowfire’s carrier? He can’t imagine knowing your carrier is online but being held by evil Decepticons. Did Snowfire get to see his carrier when he was one? Is that why he was one to see his carrier or to plan an escape?

He hopes Optimus can get Snowfire’s carrier free. No sparkling deserves not to have their carrier around, he would know how sad it is not to have them.


End file.
